Indonesia wants integrated assistance from EU for fishing industry
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government is currently working on a proposal to the European Union (EU) to request comprehensive assistance for the country's under-developed fishing industry, outside the EU's plan to grant used fishing vessels.
The EU is accelerating attempts to pass a policy to grant used fishing vessels to tsunami-stricken nations, in addition to training assistance for local fishermen in operating the vessels and in fisheries management.
Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu said on Monday the government would soon submit a proposal to the EU for specific facilities, which were suited to the needs of the fishermen, as well as requesting the EU to expand its assistance.
"The assistance is good. But we don't want just a grant of used vessels. We have to be sure that the vessels are suited to a tropical climate and there should be an integrated package for the assistance," she said at the State Palace.
Mari added that the integrated package should include a storage system for the fish, training in operating the vessels and training to improve the quality of the products, as well as wide access to the market.
In addition to that, the government is also seeking assistance from the EU in the form of laboratory equipment to enable local fishermen to comply with the quality standards set out by the EU market, following a number of cases where Indonesian fish were rejected by the European market.
In a bid to maximize the function of the facilities pledged by the EU, Mari said her ministry was considering setting up a mechanism to allow cooperation between private enterprises in receiving the facilities.
Joint ventures between the Indonesian and EU private sector are expected to provide employment for local fishermen and at the same time transfer advanced fishing technology.
The EU has a lot of ships and fishermen but insufficient resources, while Indonesia has the marine resources but insufficient vessels and skills.
Meanwhile, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Freddy Numberi said his ministry was currently studying the proposal from the EU, since most of the fishermen in Aceh and in other areas preferred traditional vessels which were easier to operate.
"Based on our recent study, most fishermen want traditional vessels with three seamen and a capacity of up to 40 gross tons. We need to carefully consider the EU's offer so it won't be under utilized," he said.
To accommodate fishermen who are prepared to accept the facilities, Freddy said his ministry was still working on determining which fishing areas would be suited to the operation of huge and modern fishing vessels in order to protect the territory of traditional fishermen and avoid future disputes.
The government is also in the process of registering Acehnese fishermen and documenting their needs, he added.